This invention relates generally to wireless communications circuitry, and more particularly, to wireless communications circuitry for handheld electronic devices.
Handheld electronic devices are becoming increasingly popular. Examples of handheld devices include handheld computers, cellular telephones, media players, and hybrid devices that include the functionality of multiple devices of this type.
Due in part to their mobile nature, handheld electronic devices are often provided with wireless communications capabilities. Handheld electronic devices may use long-range wireless communications to communicate with wireless base stations. For example, cellular telephones may communicate using cellular telephone bands at 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 1900 MHz. Handheld electronic devices may also use short-range wireless communications links. For example, handheld electronic devices may communicate using the WiFi® (IEEE 802.11) band at 2.4 GHz and the Bluetooth® band at 2.4 GHz. Communications are also possible in data service bands such as the 3G data communications band at 2170 MHz band (commonly referred to as UMTS or Universal Mobile Telecommunications System).
To satisfy consumer demand for small form factor wireless devices, manufacturers are continually striving to reduce the size of components that are used in these devices. For example, manufacturers have made attempts to miniaturize the antennas used in handheld electronic devices.
A typical antenna may be fabricated by patterning a metal layer on a circuit board substrate or may be formed from a sheet of thin metal using a foil stamping process. Many devices use planar inverted-F antennas (PIFAs). Planar inverted-F antennas are formed by locating a planar resonating element above a ground plane. These techniques can be used to produce antennas that fit within the tight confines of a compact handheld device.
Although modern handheld electronic devices often need to function over a number of different communications bands, it is difficult to design a compact antenna that functions satisfactorily over a wide frequency range with satisfactory performance levels. For example, when the vertical size of conventional planar inverted-F antennas is made too small in an attempt to minimize antenna size, the bandwidth and gain of the antenna are adversely affected.
It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide improved antennas and wireless handheld electronic devices.